Yapton RAG needs you!

Yapton RAG is setting up a committee to fight the Glesson Planning application in Yapton Village - Interested? See http://yaptonrag.tumblr.com/

A new development...

A planning application has been submitted by Gleeson homes for 173 properties on land north of Burndell Road. The application will have a significant impact on the residents in Goodhew Close, Burndell Road, Fordwater Gardens and Downview Road. This application is a departure from the development plan and also falls within the parish of Ford.

The planning application number is Y/81/10/
Comments are due by November 25th

You can view the planning documents here... http://www.arun.gov.uk

Land at the back of Goodhew Close

Gleeson have received approval to their Initial planning notice (submitted 23/09/10 ref Y/73/10/IN). The case officer is Mr D Patterson and I guess an application will be in very soon.

Will keep you up to date...

Voting on new home schemes 'could tear villages apart'

Government plans to hold local referendums on new housing schemes in England could tear village communities apart, rural campaigners have said.

They say plans to require 80-90% of local people to approve new building schemes in villages would create conflict and bring projects to a halt. More here...

'Garden grab' figures published

Plans to limit development on gardens in England have been backed up by new figures, a government minister says.

One in seven new homes between 1994 and 2009 were built on previously residential land, including gardens, the data shows. Read more here...

New Development...

Here we go again... It looks like Gleeson are planning on putting in an application for 200 homes on land North of Burndell Road. There have been rumours circulating, and now there is a leaflet doing the rounds... Download a copy of the leaflet. (Link no Longer working)

They are asking for community input so lets show them what this community thinks!

Responses should be sent to gemma@planningpotential.co.uk

By post to:
Gemma Brickwood
Planning Potential
Magdalen House
148 Tooley Street
London
SE1 2TU

Or you can call Gemma on 0207 357 8000

Announcing YAPTON RAG

Yapton RAG (Resident Action Group), is in the early stages of setting up an online community for the people living in Yapton and surrounding areas who care about village issues. Yapton RAG aims to build a community that is thriving and fair. We want to tackle local issues head on, whether it be fly tipping, traffic calming, planning and many other issues the village now faces.

Please follow their tweetsYaptonRAG and yaptonrag.co.uk

Why not admit defeat?

One wonders if Dixon and Hall will ever admit defeat. This week they are proclaiming 'Council support for Eco-Town protest was unfair' - Oh really? As one of the many local resident I think I can judge whether we wanted an Eco Town or not.

Just for the record, a few facts...
10,000 people signed a petition...
Over 2,000 residents marched...
The government didn't back it...

Read their letter here...

Charley in New Town

This is a charming propaganda film from 1948 - yes 1948!!! I'm surprised it wasn't adapted into "Charlie in New Eco-Town" Enjoy, and Merry Christmas everyone!

Proposals for a second wave of eco-towns.

The government has announced proposals for a second wave of eco-towns. Housing minister John Healey said today that a further nine local authorities were considering plans to develop new communities to eco-town standards. This could bring the number of new eco-settlements - “sustainable” developments of at least 5,000 homes - to more than 13 after four locations were given the green light in July.

The new schemes include reviving eco-town proposals at Shoreham Harbour in West Sussex and Northstowe in Cambridgeshire, where the department for communities said there was “an opportunity to redesign elements of existing projects to meet even higher sustainability standards”.

Five authorities and partnerships, covering ten locations in Taunton , Yeovil, Leeds, Lincoln and Coventry are using eco-town planning rules to decide whether an eco-town is “feasible and deliverable”. And councils in Cornwall and the Sheffield City Region are using the concept to carry out a broader survey of potential sites.

Healey said the expressions of interest would be backed with up to £10m to help develop the schemes. He said: “The further nine areas are looking at proposals to design and develop to the tough new eco-town standards. "This signals real and radical momentum to change and to re-think how we design our towns and homes for the future.

"In July, I encouraged councils to be at the forefront of Britain 's green revolution and use government backing to investigate eco-town potential for mainstream developments." Healy added that the announcement put government back on course to encourage the development of up to ten eco-towns by 2020.

The first wave of sites, in Hampshire, Norfolk , Cornwall and Oxfordshire, are currently developing masterplans for local planning approval. Whitehill-Bordon in Hampshire was the first to publish its draft masterplan for public consultation last month.

Empty homes back in use

Hello again - long time no blog, so lets have some good news...

HOMES which have stood empty for more than 40 years are among dozens of vacant properties now giving families a roof over their head once more, thanks to a council campaign. Read more here...

Housebuilders look to raise cash

Two of the UK's largest housebuilders have announced plans to bolster their finances by raising cash through selling more shares. Barratt Developments wants to raise £720.5m through a rights issue, while Redrow is aiming for £150m. Click here for more...

I took note of this sentence, 'Mr Clare added that the cash from the rights issue would also be used to develop a number of existing sites and to buy land if opportunities arose'.

Friday September 4th - Yapton & Ford Village Hall

Unfortunately its not my Scarecrowday... But you are invited to a gathering at Yapton & Ford Village Hall where there will be a few speeches, some music and a chance wind down after the last 18 months... The format is bring a bottle and glass - there may be nibbles... We start at 6.30 - hope to see you there...

Have a great August... Mr G and the team...

Make every town an eco-town

Jonathan Glancey architecture critic for the Guardian... There’s no point bulding tokenistic, half-baked fake communities for New Labour clones while we’re still wedded to motorways, airports and superstores. Read more here...

Words of Thanks...

Dear Susan,
 
Yes, a great day indeed! I'm only sorry I could not be more active myself. Too busy here in Brighton, I'm afraid, but you've been fortunate having Ben Fogle campaigning with you, such is his high public profile. I always like reading his column in the newspaper.
 

Michael Bishop

----

Well done to the organising team WE couldn't have done it without YOU !!

Gigi

----

Hi Susan

Just to congratulate you and everyone concerned with the campaign which was
fought with such wonderful tenacity and eloquence.  Thank you for all the
hard work and commitment which was without equal.

I'm sure that another planning application will be waiting in the wings but
that is another day, another dollar.


Regards

Mary Rivett

----

Hi Susan,
Yes absolutely fantastic news!!
Well done to you Vicky and all the team -we certainly could not done it without an organised CAFE. Let the voice of the people be heard-and eventually it was.(Including Parliament square!!!) Kind regards and well done to all the team,
Cynthia

----

Hi Susan.
Well done to you and the team. Democracy rules (at least I hope
so).

Thanks again for all your effort. There should be many people who are
grateful to you all.

Kind regards


Neil

Yes what good new re decision on Eco Town and mainly to all Cafe's hard work and time given to the protest.  It is much appreciated. 
Thank you all.
B & D Wilgoss Climping

----

Great news - well done! We just moved here from the congestion of Kingston
on Thames, to escape to the country, let's keep it a rural paradise.

Regards
Jane and Chris Weymouth

----

Congratulations - an enormous relief.

 Thank you for all your hard work, organisational skills and persistence in
the face of government obtuseness!


With best wishes

Quentin Daniel

----

Well done and thank YOU!
 

Katherine
 

----


Many congratulations Delighted with the result which is of course the 
correct one!


Christine and Stephen Brocklebank
----

Thank you all for your efforts!  We look forward to the party!

-----

Hi to all the Cafe team and many, many, many thanks for your hard work and the eloquent way you were able to put our case forward. I cannot begin to imagine how much time this has taken for all of you - your well researched arguments were certainly very important - as were the protests you organised. We owe you a large debt of gratitude. I just wanted to let you know your efforts have been very much appreciated - thank you for saving our way of life.
Regards
Jan Crockett
----

Huge congratulations to you all. We consider ourselves very lucky to have 
had such a dedicated and knowledgeable committee to lead us and spur us on 
at any sign of flagging....you did a brilliant job and we are very grateful
. Best wishes
Jocelyne and Clive Newman

----

Well done everybody - what a result!
 Many thanks for keeping me posted
Jan Moore

----

It is a terrific result and says huge amounts for the power of local people
 when they organise and work together.  Congratulations especially to Vicky 
(and Terry Knott before her) for leading such a team and to Susan and all 
the people who quietly kept the communication going and shouldered a lot of
 the unseen work.


Nancy Brinton

----

CONGRATULATIONS  to you all and thank you for all your hard work.


Peter and Sue Trumble, Yapton.

----

Nice one Susan,
 And thank you for all YOUR hard work, when you could have been forgiven for concentrating upon finding gainful employment! 
And a big thanks to Brian too.
 Great job both of you!
 As ever,

Terry

 Terence Phayre KNOTT MC FRSM

----

Well done all of you who worked so hard,we owe you a large debt of
gratitude. Thank you. A very relieved resident of Yapton
Laurie Slater

----

Delighted to hear the good news.  I read the Ben Fogle article also today,
which waas very good.  I had feared that the govt juggernaut would win.

 Well done, and very best wishes


Anne

Dear all at CAFE
Fantastic news today !! 
Congratulations to all of you for the strenuous, informed and wonderful effort you all made to achieve this great success. We are very thrilled ... for ourselves and for all of you. Marvellous !!! Best regards
Derek and Jacquie Whitby 

Congratulations,all your hard work has paid off.
From Reginald Barrett and 
Sheila Holub

----

Brilliant result!!

----
 
We would like to congratulate the campaign team . If you had not been there , we are sure the result would have been very different. We really appreciate all your hard work and expertise.
 
Thank you all very much.
Dave and Jeanette Underwood   

----

Dear Vicky
We are so pleased at the decision to abandon this misguided development.
You have done so much hard work and the organisation of the whole campaign was textbook stuff.
A sincere thank you from us and hundreds of others who will also be breathing a sigh of relief.

Best wishes
Christine and Ian Llewellyn

-----

We wanted to send an immediate and hearfelt 'HUGE THANK YOU' to all of you who have worked so hard on this campaign which has resulted in yesterday's good news.
 
We believe all the effort has made a difference - and hope and trust this really is the end of the matter for Ford.  We shall no doubt have to continue to be on our guard!
 
regards and best wishes
Michael and Judy Simmonds

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Congratulations on all your hard work - wonderful result and everybody concerned should be proud of what they have achieved!
 sally godfrey

-----

Hello Vicky and All,
Many congratulations and thanks for all your hard work in defeating the Ford Eco-town proposals. However, FAVG's reaction (that they will continue to try to build on Ford) means that we cannot relax our vigilance. Nevertheless, you have defined the criteria that they will have to meet before any building can be contemplated.

Regards,
Ray Penny

-----

To Vicky Newman and all the CAFE committee (including Terry Knott!)
I'm sure that this will be only one of hundreds of communications of congratulation you will be receiving. The whole locality owes you a huge debt of gratitude for your unstinting effort over the last 18 months to preserve the heritage of our three villages. You must take great satisfaction from the news today that the Ford site is not included in the four nominated by this government. Both MP's have quite rightly given the CAFE group great credit, both in the House of Commons and on TV/radio and we as a community can only echo this! Enjoy all the plaudits and the champagne - they are richly deserved!!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for working so hard on our behalf -
Margaret

Dear Susan,

Congratulations on your leadership of this important campaign. For your
interest, attached a copy of my letter, sent today.
Best wishes,

Tim Simpson

More to come...